Toy gun



July 10, 1923. 1,461,257

A. B. THOMPSON TOY GUN Filed Feb. '7, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 10, 1923. 1,461,257 I A. B. THOMPSON TOY GUN Filed Feb. 7. 1925 2 She'ts-Sheet. 2

Patent July 16, 1923.

ARTHUBI B. THOMPSON, OF HISSOULA,-MONTANA.

TOY GUN.

Application filed February 7, 1923. Serial m; 617,562.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR B. THoMPsoN, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of the city of Missoula, inthe county of Missoula and State of Montana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toy Guns, of which the following is a specification,

y invention relates to toy guns, and is particularly intended for the purpose of shooting ordinary elastic rubber bands.

It is the purpose of my invention to provide such a toy, which may be made similar in form to an automatic pistol or revolver, or even a rifle, which will shoot the rubber bands with considerable accurac and a fair amount of force, and which wil be simple and cheap to construct and simple to operate.

My invention comprises those novel parts and'combinations thereof which are shown in the accompanying drawings, described in the specification, and particularly defined by the claims terminating the same.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown my invention in the form which is now preferred by me, together-with several possible modifications.

Figure 1 is an elevation of such a to gun shown ready to shoot, and in my pref erred form of construction.

Figure 2 is an enlarged elevation of the chief operating parts of such a gun, .parts thereof being shown in section.

Figure 3 is a section on line 33 of Figure 1.

Fi res 4, 5 and'6 are each elevations, part y in section, of various modifications.

My device is intended to be sold to children for their amusement and consequently must be cheap, simple in operation, and harmless. As shown it, comprises three parts, a frame 1. including parts simulating a hand grip and barrel whichgis shown as slidable within the frame 1, and 'a trigger 3. A rubber band 4 has its guide, if the toy is, formed as an automatic pistol, a barrel 2- have shown the entire barrel as slidable within a guide 12 provided in the upper part of the frame 1. The trigger 3 is pivoted at 13 in the frame and is provided with means for releasing the catch referred to above. This catch may be a part of the trigger itself, but referably is separate therefrom and opera 1e thereby; As shown this trigger comprises an upwardly extending finger 31 which is projectible through a slot 23 in the barrel 2. Thus the trigger is operable to slide the barrel forward when it is pulled rearwardly. While a-spring may be employed to return the barrel to its normal rearward dinarily be found unnecessary, as in the form shown in Figure l the rubber band 4 serves for this purpose.

At its muzzle end, that is, forwardly of the frame l'when the barrel 2 and frame 1 are formed separately, I provide a forwardly facing book 22. This is shown in Figure 1 as a notch, although it may take any desired form so long as it is freely open forward and does not project an abru t rearwardly-facing shoulder upward su ciently to catch the rear end of the rubber band 4 which is engaged therein. At the rear or breech end of the frame 1 I provide an upwardly and forwardly inclined surface 10 with which the rear'end of the rubber band 4 is engaged, its forwardend being engaged in the notch 22. The surface 10 is so inclined that it will permit the latter to slide upwardly, and to be released therefrom.

position, yet this will or- In order to retain the rubber band in engagement with the surface-10 I provide a9 rubber band when the barrel is drawn forwardly by pressure upon the trigger 3. The

rubber band in being placed in the gun isengaged first in the notch 22 and is then drawn rearwardly, being placed under tension during this operation. This causes the withdrawn the barrel 2 to be drawn rearwardly to cause the catch 21 to protrude, whereupon the rear end of the band is engaged between the catch 21 and the surface 10.

It will be understood that movement of the entire barrel is not strictly essential but only that the catch 21, which would orrinarily be formed upon the rear end thereof,

be movable to withdraw it behind the sur- Also it is not essential that the face 10. catch be slidable directly forward and rearward, as any suitable motion may be given to it which will withdrawit at the proper time. I have shown alternative forms in Figures 4, 5, and '8, embodying modifications such as those suggested.

In Figure 4 the toy is in all respects similar to that just described, with the exception that the barrel is formed in two portions, one portion 2- being fixed to, and to all intents forming part of the frame 1, and the other portion or bolt 2 being slidable in the guide 12, and being held normally projected by means of a spring 25. A forward sight 26 on the fixed barrel 2 carries the notch 22, and the arm 31 of the trigger engages the bolt 2" to operate it.

In Figure 5 the sliding barrel or bolt is omitted, and the arm 31 of the trigger lever is extended upward so that its tip 32 will normally project beyond the surface 10, to cooperate therewith in holding the rear end or the rubber band. An extension spring 33 may be employed to maintain the ti 32 normally in this position. Upon pu ing the trigger the tip 32 is drawn upward and forward until finally it passes within the frame 1, thereupon releasing the rubber band.

In the form shown in Figure 6 the bolt 2 is rotatively mounted in the guid 12, being held therein by a fixed pin 15, re-

nearest ceived in a circumferential segmental slot 27. A second slot, 28, helical in direction, is engaged by the arm 31 of the trigger lever. A spring 33 is provided for maintaining the trigger and bolt in normal position, ready to fire. By pressing the trigger 3, the bolt 2 is rotated, as will be apparent, and as its tip 21 passes within the outline of the surface 10 the rubber band will be released.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a toy gun, in combination, a frame and a barrel movable therein, said barrel having a hook opening forwardly at its muzzle end for holding an end 0% a rubber band, and having a catch at its breech end for engaging the her band, and said frame having a band-re leasing surface cooperable with said catch to hold this end of the rubber band, and means for moving said barrel at will to withdraw said catch to permit release of the band.

2. In a toy gun, a frame having a tubular guide and a barrel slidable forwardly and rearwardly therein,-the rear end of said guide being inclined upwardly and forwardly, a forwardly-facing notch at the muzzle end of said barrel for engaging the forward end of a rubber band, the rear end of said band being engageable with the inclined surface of said guide, such surface being insufiicient to retain said band, and the breech end of the barrel having a rearwardly-extending catch at its upper side cooperable with said inclined surface of the guide to form a band-retaining rear notch, and a trigger engageable with said barrel to move it forward to withdraw said catch into said guide.

Signed at Seattle, King County, Washington this 2nd day of February 1923.

ARTHUR B. THOMPSON opposite end of the rub-- 

